New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-13
A SECTIONAL POLICY.

Judge Cooley, president Of the Interstate
Commission, was interviewed at his home at
Detroit since his return from the South, but
carefully avoided giving useful information
regarding the working of the law or its con-
struction in difficult cases, lie sees that the
difficulties at the South arise in large measure
from tho fact that the rapid development Of
railroad transportation within the Inst few
years and the successful competition OF rail-
roads with water routes have greatly changed
the course of business and affected the pros
perity of river towns. But whether the Com
mission will so cOnstrue the law as to cripple
the railroads in this competition with the
rivers, and deprive new centres of manufacture
and trade of the advantages which low through
rates have given them, he takes pains not to
disclose. The suspension of the short haul
clause in favor of Southern roads is yet tenn
porary, and the Commission has not made
public any determination to suspend the rule
permanently.
Possibly the Commission is embarrassed, as
ID well may be, by the obvious Inconsistency
involved in favoring Southern railroads in their
competition with rivers, but refusing the same
favor to Northern roads in their competition
with lake and river routes Precisely similar
changes to those Observed Mt the South. though
much more important in extent have been go
ing on at the North in the course OF transporta
ton. transferring business from river and lake
towns to others which dcpcnd upon rail trans
po1tation exclusively. These changes have re-
suited from the low through rates offered by
tho railroads, in order to build up the business
of the towns which depend upon them. If 1t
l =, 10 1,o low md
to permit these changes at the North, no eX-
cusc can be given for helping the same revolu'
ton at the South If at the South The act is
a rcactiOnary measure, hostile to the develop
mcnt of resources to the tendencies of modern
commerce. to progress and to civilization and
if it should on that ground be made imperative
in that section there is far greater reason to
deprive it of force with respect TO the competi-
ton OF Northern railroads with lake and water
routes Yet the Commission does not sec the
propriety of doing in Northern States what 1t
did with haste, and prior to any investigation.
at the South.
Construed in this one-sided and irrational
fashion. the Interstate law Is liable to become
an ingenious continuance 10 PROSTATE industries
of the North for the benefit Of a section more
satisfactorily Democratic. The natural pre-
sumption that the Commission would not adopt
a course so unjust must in time yield to the
undeniablc fact that it does. Pennsylvania
furnaces are about to close, or have already put
ont their fires. because shipment OF iron 10
distant points is rendered Improbable by the
high rates charged for railroad transportation.
At the same time Southern roads, permitted by
the Commission to make through rates without
regard TO LEGAL charges, send the product OF
Southern furnaces into Mort hern markets, even
TO Ncw-York and Pittsburg Northern coal
and coke shippers are deprived of large parS
Of their business by high rail rates, while the
operation of the law is suspended TO enable
Southern concerns in similar business to make
low rates for long hauls. Cotton mills in one
section are favored but in the other are bur
dcned with heavy charges on shipments TO
distant markets. These and other illustrations
will Ike remembered when this act, as inter
prctod by the Commission created by the al
ministration, comes before the people for their
vorIlict